Dandelions
by Yaya The Elf
Summary: Katniss Everdeen was a survivor long before the Hunger Games. But she wouldn't have made it without Peeta's help.


**Dandelions **

_Disclaimer:_

_I do not own the Hunger Games or any of its original characters_

_Sorry if there are any typos._

I wake up to the noise of mockingjays singing. This annoys me only slightly, because they make sweet music, yet I wish for a few more minutes of rest.

"Katniss," my dad says to me from the bathroom. "You have to wake up now. School starts in 15 minutes."

I sit up and look around. Turns out I've overslept. My parent's bed in bare, and my little sister Prim is sitting on a stool while my mother braids her hair in the den.

"Okay," I say to him. I get up and get dressed my school clothes, a plain white tee shirt and a skirt, and then braid my hair into two pieces. After, I put on my shoes and walk into the bathroom where I brush my teeth along with my father.

"Can we go into the woods after school?" I ask him after I spit out the toothpaste.

He gives me a funny look. "Why?" he asks. "All the animals are hibernating and the planets are dead."

"Pleeeasse?" I whine. "You could teach me how to shoot birds or something!"

He thinks for a second. "Okay," he says. "Remember, right after school."

I nod eagerly and then walk out of the bathroom to eat my breakfast: some tea and two slices of bread. After I gobble and slurp it down, I grab my coat and "backpack" (a cheaply made, leather sack full of papers).

"Come on, Prim," I say as I grab her hand.

"You two be careful," my mom says. "It's snowing pretty bad outside."

"We will!" I say. Then, Prim and I kiss our parents goodbye and we head out.

Mom was right, it _is _snowing very badly. I can barely see where I'm going. I clasp Prim's hand even harder and try to make our way toward the school. We make it in about 2o minutes, making us late. But it turns out that most people were late because of the snow, so were not really being penalized as harshly.

I walk Prim to her classroom.

"Seeya, Prim" I say to her.

"Bye!" she says cheerfully and then greets her friends.

I walk to my class, which is across the school, and make it there in about 6 minutes.

"Your late, Ms. Everdeen," my teacher scowls at me.

"Sorry," I barely mumble. "Snow's fault."

I strip off my coat and then plop down in my seat. Once the last few kids come in, our teacher starts yapping away about coal or whatever. Since I'm a girl, this barely interests or affects me since I'll never go into the mines, so I let myself daydream. I hope it doesn't keep snowing like this, or Dad and I will probably not be able to go into the woods. Perhaps it will lighten up, after all, the day is young-

"Hey, Katniss," a voice from beside me whispers and pokes my arm. "You have to pay attention."

I look to my right and see the mayor's daughter, Madge, I think. She whispers again, "You have to pay attention."

"Oh, right," I mutter and the pretend to focus on the teacher, but really, I just let my mind wander again until lunchtime.

I each lunch alone, like I normally do. Mom had made Prim and me bread with jam, and I try to eat it as slowly as possible, trying to make it last and ignore the grumble and emptiness of my stomach that will probably never go away. It gets worse when it's time for a meal, and is always there during the rest of the day. But you get used to it.

Someone sits next to me. Probably some other loser who always sits alone, too. I look at the person, and it's Madge again.

"Mind if I sit here?" she asks me.

I shrug my shoulders and try to avoid eye contact. Her nagging me to pay attention in class peeved me off, and I'm still not yet over it. Luckily, she doesn't try to talk to me or anything, we just sit there, eating our food in silence.

After lunch comes math, and I try to pay attention in this one. I guess it will help me if I were to ever open up a shop or something. If I could find the money, I mean.

Then, the alarm goes off.

That light from above the door starts flashing, and that familiar beeping turns on. For a second, I feel no fear, because we always have drills once a month in case there were to ever be a mining accident. Then I remember that we had our drill last Tuesday.

I bolt up out of my chair, and about half of the class does so as well. We all forget the orderly lines we are instructed into during the drills, all we can think about is getting out of here to see if our fathers are okay.

I make my way through the crowd and go into Prim's classroom. She's standing there at the doorway. I grab her hand and then pull her out of the room, and we try to make our way outside.

Once we do, we start running toward the mines and then lock our eyes on the elevator door, waiting to see our father come out, safe and sound.

"Katniss!" I hear my mother's voice come from the crowd. "Prim!"

"Over here!" Prim and I both call out, waving our hands. She makes her way through and then grabs us and forces us into a hug.

"Don't worry," she tells us. "Everything will be fine. Daddy will be fine."

She lets us go, and we wait and watch the elevator door. I start to shiver, and I realize that I had forgotten to take my coat with me. But there's no way I'm back now. I will tough it out and wait until Dad comes out, because nothing's going to happen. We haven't had a serious mining accident in 12 years.

The elevator's door opens and men covered in coal dust limp out. The crowd cheers, and women and children embrace their loved ones.

"Dad?" I call out. Nope, he's not there. My heart starts thumping faster, and tears start forming in my eyes, but I force myself to calm down. He'll come up in the next shipment. I know it.

But he doesn't. Prim and I call out for him, but he's not there. By the third round I'm shivering so much I hunch down into a ball, and Mom and Prim follow suit, probably because if they stand any longer they'll probably faint.

The next round comes. More cheers. No Dad. Some kind soul places a blanket around us. Another round. No Dad. Another round, still no Dad. Someone hands us a warm drink but we don't drink it. Another round. With each shipment, and with each person embracing their loved one, my heart sinks lower and lower. By the seventh shipment, there are only three of them, and there are more cheers. But my dad is not one of them. I get up and walk over to them. I'm usually not this straightforward, but I'm so scared I can't take it.

"Are there anymore?" I stutter.

"Sorry, kiddo," one of them says, his arm wrapped around someone who must be his wife. "We're the last." Then, they walk away.

My mouth hangs open, and Prim asks me what's happened, tugging on my shirt. But my vocal chords have become very tight and I have a feeling if I say anything at all I'll start sobbing. Prim tugs on my shirt even more, and I look behind me. Around forty families remain, and they start to leave. Then I remember what's going on and I start bawling. Prim starts crying, too, even though she doesn't know what's going on, and my mother just sits there, staring at the elevator door.

Just then I remember that Dad was supposed to take me to the woods today.

‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

The next day what's left of my family is called to the Justice Building, and we are given a medal that thanks us for sacrificing our loved one for the greater good of our country. The mayor pins it onto my shirt, and the hands my mother two sacks of coins, which will be enough money for one whole month. I can see Madge sitting on a couch in the far left. She gives me a sad look and I avoid eye contact with her.

We all walk glumly home. I rip off my medal and shove it into my pocket. "Thank you for sacrificing your loved one for the greater good of our wonderful country". Whatever. Some crappy medal can't bring my father back from the dead.

We reach home and then take off our coats. My mom seems to be limping. She collapses onto the couch and then just stares blankly at the wall. Prim looks at her curiously and then nudges her.

"Mommy, you okay?" she asks. Mom doesn't respond. "Is it about Daddy?" No response. "Guess you don't wanna talk about it." She shrugs and then walks into our room. I go into the kitchen and then take out a stale roll and try to eat it as best as I can. My jaw aches from biting it yet I can't seem to stop. The pain reminds me that I'm still alive, that this isn't some sick dream, this is real.

Finally when my gums start bleeding I throw the bread the ground and then get out a better piece. I plunk down next to my mom again and start taking one bite after another. Tears start to pour out of my eyes and then wet the bread, making each bite salty. But I keep eating it until the bread starts to stick to my throat, and my mouth is so full of plain bread and blood and tears that I start to silently sob. My mom does nothing, she just sits there and stares at the empty fireplace.

After my cry I swallow what's remaining of my bread and then I plunk down into my bed next to Prim and try to go to sleep.

"Katniss, are you okay?" she gently asks me. I don't face her, I stare at the wall.

"Go to bed," I tell her, even though it's only the afternoon.

"Okay," she says softly, and takes off her shoes and then slides under the covers. I remember to do the same, so I take off my muddy boots and then hide under the covers. Tears slide down my face, and after a few minutes I hear Prim start to cry. I pop my head above the sheets and then hug Prim while she cries into my shirt. I stare at the wall, just like my mother, and pat her hair until she cries her little self to sleep. I lay her back down, and then put on my boots.

I walk out of the room and find my mother still sitting there, staring. I grab my jacket and my father's wool hat and say to her, "I'm going out into the woods, okay?"

She doesn't respond, she just stares at the wall, with this somewhat shocked or maybe even horrified blank stare.

"Okay," I say softly. "See you later."

I walk out and softly close the door. The sky is bleak and grey, and the air is chilled. I start running out toward to meadow and then collapse onto the ground and stare at the sky. I don't feel like doing anything or practicing hunting or anything. In fact, I don't even want to go into the woods. I've never been there by myself. I realize that I'm scared to go by myself. I curl up into a ball, trying to keep warm. I don't want to go back home, because somehow I know that I'll just find Mom staring at the wall or Prim crying. I just want to be by myself.

I just stare out at nothing in particular, and then I find myself slowly drifting off to sleep…

‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ ‡

I wake up again, and it's dark. I realize that Mom and Prim must be worried sick about. I get up and start running toward my house. I open the door and Prim runs over to me and starts crying.

"Hey, hey, Prim, don't worry I'm okay," I say, patting her head.

"I thought you were dead and I can't wake up Mommy," she sobs.

"Don't worry I'm fine…" I say, pulling her into a hug. "Wait… you can't what Mom?"

"She won't wake up!" she exclaims. I look over Prim's head and I see that Mom hasn't moved at all.

"What time is it?" I ask.

"5 AM," she whimpers. "I woke up at lunchtime. You were gone for hours and I kept asking Mommy where you went but she wouldn't say anything or move."

I let Prim go and walk over to my mom and wave my hand in front of her face. No answer.

"Mom," I say, nudging her shoulder. No response. "Mom!" Nothing.

I start getting scared. I start shaking her shoulders and I start to scream, "MOM!" directly in her face. She shakes her head a bit and seems to come back to us for a little while, but then just collapses and stares again.

"_MOM!" _I scream at her. _"Mom say something!"_

"She can't _hear_ you, Katniss!" Prim yells. But I keep shaking Mom's shoulders, trying to get her back. I lost my father yesterday, I will _not _loose my mother, too.

After a minute without success, I take deep breaths and then tell Prim to go to bed, since tomorrow we will have to go back to school. We wake up later in the morning and I half expect my father to be in the bathroom, brushing his teeth while Mom braids Prim's hair from the den. But instead, I find that Prim and I are alone, very, very alone. Mom sleeps from the couch, and whenever we try to rouse her, she shakes her head and turns away. We give up after a few minutes, and I pick out Prim's clothes and try to make breakfast as best as I can. After, we eat it, brush our teeth, and then I brush and braid Prim's hair and then do mine as well. I grab my coat and then quickly wrap up two rolls for lunchtime. I'd make a better lunch but we have no time.

We hurry to school and make it with a minute to spare. I walk Prim to her class and then I hurry to my class. I'm late. I walk into class and try to explain to my teacher why I'm late.

"It's okay," she tells me. "It's fine. You're excused."

I nod and then plunk back into my desk. The class's eyes are on me. They know why I'm late.

I let my mind wander for the rest of class until lunch, and Madge doesn't bug me, and then I walk to the cafeteria and eat my bread. It's kind of stale, but I eat it anyway.

After school ends, I take Prim home, and find my mother staring at the wall again. We try to get her up for a while but then just give up. It's like this everyday. Day after day, we try to rouse her but there's no response. I end up taking the job as head of the family, getting up extra early to pick out Prim's clothes, making breakfast and lunch and dinner. I draw Prim's baths, I use our money to buy food. I help Prim with her homework and try to clean our clothes as best as I can.

"When will Mommy get better?" she asks me.

"Probably by the end of the month or so, when our money from the mayor runs out," I say. "This is just a phase. She'll get better."

But she doesn't.

By February our money from the mayor runs out, but Mom doesn't get better. Prim starts screaming at her to get better sometimes. Sometimes I get so sad because I feel like I've lost both of my parents that I break down sobbing when Prim tells me that the clothes aren't clean enough or that we're running out of bread. It's hard being a single mom, especially when your 11 and your real mom won't do anything.

On February 21st, Prim asks me when I'll by more milk. She doesn't say it in a complaining way, I knows she's just wondering, but I start screaming and sobbing. It's that violent kind of sobbing, where your body just racks over with each cry. Prim tries to shush me, telling me that it will get better and Mom will start to see what's going on.

"When?" I cry. "Tomorrow? Next week? Next year? We need help _now, _Prim!"

"You said our money will last until the middle of March," Prim says. "That'll be plenty of time to get help."

I agree, and tell her that first thing on Saturday I would go into town and tell someone about what's going on.

Saturday comes, and I decide to tell my teacher. She lives in the Center Square, and I plan my words carefully, even though I probably don't need to. She may be strict, but she will understand. She's been enormously kind ever since Dad died. Along the way, I pass the community home, where orphans or kids whose parents can't afford them or take care of them go. I stop in my tracks and stare at the home. I can hear glass break.

_"Look what you have done!" _a voice screams. A child says sorry, and I can hear a thud and then crying. This is where kids go if their parents can take care of them. Like me. If I tell anyone about this, Prim and I will end up here. Where food and tempers are short. Prim wouldn't last one day there. I'll just have to tough this out and take care of Prim, or else this is the fate that will come towards us.

I go back to my house and take out a broom and start sweeping the house. It's been getting dusty lately and the dust will start to make us sneeze. Prim asks me if I told my teacher and I tell her no, and I say to her that she is not to tell anyone about what's going on. Not her teacher, not her friends, nobody. I tell her that if she does, we will end up in the community home and won't be able to see Mom anymore. She nods and offers to help me sweep the house. I let her.

March comes and our money starts to run out. I start taking away lunch so we'll have more food for a longer time. This helps a lot, and it isn't until the beginning of April until our money runs out. I use my last coins to buy milk and bread on April 5th.We only eat one slice of bread for breakfast and sandwiches for dinner. This helps, but our food is running short and we have no food. After I tuck Prim in for bed I can hear her stomach growl so loudly I can hear it from the den. I get so mad at my mother I start screaming and crying at her.

_"Mom, WAKE UP!" _I scream at her, shaking her shoulders while tears pour down my face so quickly it hurts. _"We're DYING! Can't you see what's going on with Prim? She'll DIE WITHOUT YOU HELPING."_

I shake her so violently that I bang her against the lumpy cushions of the couch. I'm so mad I want to slap her, but I know better than to slap my own mother, even if she is basically dead.

_"Mom!" _I scream at her. _"Mom! MOM ANSWER ME!"_

I can hear Prim crying from the bedroom, she's probably scared out of her mind.

_"Say something!" _I sob. _"PLEASE!"_

My legs give out and I collapse onto my knees. I burry my eyes into my hands, which rest on my mother's lap, and I cry myself silly for at least 5 minutes. After, I wipe my eyes and try to compose myself. I walk into the bedroom and tell Prim that everything will be fine, and I stroke her hair until she falls asleep. I unbraid my hair and then put on my scratchy nightgown. I quietly open the door to the den, just a crack, and then my zombie like mom rearrange a cushion and fall asleep.

I sigh and shut the door completely and then climb into bed with Prim. I could probably take the other bed but it just seems wrong. That's Mommy and Daddy's bed, and why would you sleep in the bed of two dead people?

I remind myself that it's just May 8th, May 8th, that's when I'll turn 12 and be able to sign up for the tesserae. Even though that will mean that I will have a greater chance of being in the Hunger Games. So basically, no matter what I do there's a very big chance of me dying. But I don't care. As long as Prim is okay, I guess there's no real loss. I mean, I might not even get picked, right? So it could be a win-win.

But May 8th is several weeks away. We could all be dead in several weeks.

The next day is a rainy Sunday. It's that point in spring where you wonder why you should even bother. But then the flowers come out and then you remember. I hope I'll be able to see the flowers again.

I gather some old baby clothes and go out and try to sell them while Prim watches over Mom. Not like she'll do anything.

It drizzles at first, and it makes me upset because no one will come out here in the rain. I could go into the Hob, but it's like the forest, I've never gone there without my father before, and it scares me. Anyway, I try to think positively and tell myself the rain will just wash the clothes.

A woman passes by, and I hold out a pink dress.

"Baby clothes?" I ask her. "You never know when you might need them!"

She gives me a disgusted look and walks away. I then groan, as I realize I just basically called her a slut. People pass by some more and I hold out the clothes, asking for money, but they either ignore me or tell me to go home. It starts to get dark and the rain pours down by the bucketfuls, but I keep trying. I start to get desperate around 9 o'clock, basically screaming whenever someone passes by. How mad I must look in their eyes. I end up dropping the clothes in a muddy puddle, I reach down to pick them up but I start feeling dizzy and decide not to. I'm afraid that if I go down to pick them up I'll never find the strength to get up. I start walking away, feeling like a total failure. I can't go back home. I can't go back home to Prim and my dead mother with empty arms, looking like poor old loser Katniss, who tried to save her family but failed. Some idiot who tried to prevail after breaking but ended up making herself shatter. I should have told my teacher about what's going on. Being in a community home is better than death, I guess. But who will take care of my mother?

I decide to look through people's garbage cans, because I guess I really am not stealing, but they're all emptied. I suddenly smell the aroma of baked bread, and dizzily follow it. Perhaps there is some bread or cookies in their garbage cans. I find the back of the bakery and start going through the trash. Nothing. Suddenly, I hear a woman screeching. A blond woman stands at the door and starts screaming insulting and disgusting things to me, about how she hates all these kids from the Seam going through her trash and how she'll call the Peacekeepers if I don't get out of her NOW.

Defenseless, I back away from the trashcan and I notice a boy my age with blond hair peering behind his mother, looking at me. I go behind one of the trees nearby, and the woman goes back inside with her son, grumbling to either herself or her son. I come out from the tree and try to walk but I just collapse onto the trunk of the tree. I hear another screech and a _THWAP! _The woman comes out, pushing the boy and yelling at him. She holds a large wooden spoon in her hands, and the eye of the boy is puffy. I notice he has bread in his hands.

"You idiot!" she screeches. "No one will buy this bread now! Who in their right mind would buy burnt bread? Feed it to the pigs before I throw you in myself!"

He nods glumly and starts throwing chunks to the pigpen nearby. The woman closes the door and he looks at me once and then throws more chunks. He looks at me again, and throws the bread at me. I look at it in surprise. The next one follows. I look at the bread and then him in shock. This has to be a mistake. He looks at me for a brief second again and then goes back into the bakery.

Still in shock, I walk towards the bread. Yup, it's burnt. I open one and see that it's actually not as bad as that witch said. I shove it under my shirt and start running to my house. When I get there I slam the door shut and hold out the bread and proudly proclaim, "I have bread!"

Prim smiles and my mom looks at me, still with a blank expression. I put it on the table and set down the plates and glasses. I fill the glasses with water and I call Prim over for dinner and I grab my mother's arm and yank her over to the table. I make her eat along with me and Prim. I cut three slices for each of us, and we all eat the good, healthy bread. It's full of raisins and nuts. Food has never tasted so good.

Once we're all done, I clean our plates and glasses and take everyone to bed. I undo my hair and Prim's and force my mom to put on a nightgown and tuck both of them in. Then, we all go to bed.

The next day I make breakfast with the remaining of one loaf and decide to use the other for lunch. I braid Prim's hair and we get dressed. I say goodbye to my mother, and she doesn't say anything. Maybe it's not her fault. Maybe she just forgot how to talk. I haven't heard her say anything since the day after Dad died, or at least that's when I remember.

Prim and I walk to school and actually get there early, so we get to spend a little while outside. The flowers are here.

While Prim laughs along with her friends on the other side of the field, I notice the boy with the bread talking to his friends. His eye is swollen and purple. I see Madge over by a tree, and walk up to her.

"Hey, Madge," I say. She looks surprised. I usually never talk to her.

"Yea?" she asks.

"What's that boy's name?" I point to him.

"Peeta Mellark, I think," she says. "Why?"

"Just wondering," I shrug and then walk away.

I glance at Prim, and then I glance back at the boy, Peeta, and I catch him staring at me. He looks away, and I do to, embarrassed, and then I see a dandelion. Edible plants. That's what Dad had told me last summer. I smile and pick it. I remember that all is not lost. I can pick plants now, so we can eat. Maybe I can try hunting again. The bell rings, and I watch Peeta disappear into the crowd. Still holding the dandelion, I follow suit and go to my classroom.


End file.
